Anonymous asked: How important was Buddhism to beat culture?
Pretty important. Aspects of Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, particularly zen, were a large inspiration for and component of Beats and their work. (This is most notable in Kerouac and Ginsberg, but it spanned across most Beat figures.) This is why I often feature quotes like the one earlier today by Alan Watts. It may seem “random” (and I’ve gotten complaints that it is), but I will continue to feature Watts and others because of the importance Buddhism had and has to the Beat world.
